Guest Jim Pryor Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Left Running Springs in a full on powder dump Sunday the 21st. Woke up Monday in Mammoth to bluebird conditions and very cold temps. It only snowed a couple inches but boy they had it groomed nice and Stump Alley was great. Not very crowded and suprise, no wind. Have been riding June a lot the last few years and sorta forgot how phenomenal this Mountain is. Chair 5 was perfect and for some reason everyone migrates to the right side of that run. Skiers left was wide open and Alpine heaven!! Tuesday was a little warmer and just to much. Left Wed. Thanksgiving dinner never tasted so good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dold Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Jim, a bunch of us from Northern CA and Tahoe are thinking about head9ing down there this season to see what the fuss is about. It sounds like an awesome mountain. I'm curious what lodging is like around there, cheapness etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy S. Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Steve, Mammoth is a great place. I was there for a race a few years ago and despite it being late in the season, I was very impressed. It would be fun to do a TC trip down there. Usually there are condo rentals available that aren't too expensive. Also, I know a guy who organizes bus trips. We might see when he has some from the Bay Area scheduled and try to glom onto that. Its a long drive from here. Last time I went there we spent the night in Tahoe then drove from there. Its still a long haul. On the bus it isn't so bad because you can drink and sleep on the way there. The guy I know who does it organizes a pretty fun trip from what I've heard. I seem to recall that the cost is something like $450-500 for r/t transportation, food and lodging. Let me know if you want me to look into this some more. Randy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Looks like we need to organize a little MES :D Maybe split between Mammoth and June mountain. June would even be better, less people and better grooming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Pryor Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Thanks Steve for replying to my post. Yea Mammoth is the full bomb. Stump alley (Chair 2) is a good place to warm up and is a long wide moderate pitch groomer. Then you can move over to Chair 3 if it is groomed. This run has some pitch to it and you will get air on your transitions!! Then move on to chair 5 wich is a great long good pitch wide groomer. Also chair 12 which is a old double chair but the run is the full majical mystery tour. There really is just so much it is amazing. As for lodging there is Motel 6 and many others. For the last 3 years I have been putting on a session at June Mt. called the January June Jam. Jan 2-7. This year there are 12 riders coming and the more the merrier. A bunch of great guys with the emphasis on having fun and comraderie!! We will ride June wich is such a great uncrowded groomed perfection hill and also Mammoth. Come on up. The thing about the Mammoth area is the elevation and quality and quantitiy of snow. Have fun and hope to see you at June!! jp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy S. Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Originally posted by Jim Pryor The thing about the Mammoth area is the elevation and quality and quantitiy of snow. Have fun and hope to see you at June!! jp Mammoth also has a lot of hot chicks! In Tahoe they come from Silicon Valley. In Mammoth they come from Silicone Valley. Silicone isn't just for making your bindings slippery! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipstar Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 I used to travel from NZ to Mammoth; basically it rocks. Tahoe has some great terrain, but for sure it is hard to beat the quality of Mammoth's snow, and the size. I would not bother going to June for more than a day, unless you want to do the same run again and again. For me (and this is just my opinion) variety is the spice of life, and June is mostly only medium pitch runs, with a lot of flat run outs; especially going to the cafe midstation, which means no turns, just gliding. THe best runs on Mammoth, IMHO, are when the wind comes up a bit, and after the snow falls. If the chair numbers are the same... then go up the gondola to the top, or up chair 23.... hit Scotties or Cornice bowl.... test your extremecarving techniques with some decent turns through some slight chop.... hammer the flats from cornice to link up to Chair 2, then all the way to the bottom.... or cruise around the back behind chair 1, and emerge on the runs directly below the area of Chair 1 when they set up race courses, and lay one down for the crowds.... or two. If going down Chair 3, or linking in from Cornice bowl, there used to be some very odd grooming bumps as you sweep around the bend going straight off chair 3 the wrong way towards cornice bowl ('cause that chair ends on a knoll) - you'll understand when you get there. Hammer the speed, and you can get some really funky (if goofy) exit full speed halfway through a toeside off the bump and land hard halfway through a heelside sensations. Magic! Chair 2 rocks early morning.... Chair 1 is pretty good too. It gets a bit chilly quite early though at Mammoth when the sun is behind the back of the mountain, from about 3pm, it can get cold quite fast, so bring a hat. With fresh snow, comes great responsibilty. Or not. Off the top is the way to go; Chair 23 traverse across to scotties or the chutes P1,2,3,P4 (the paranoids) - for some hard as carvng in the steeps. The line directly below the chair 23 is pretty decent sometimes, but can get bumped up too much to be carvable. Chair 9 is good and the backside is great, but more for powder riding than hardboot carving. I've ridden quite a few places, but still think that the wind packed pow in Mammoth is the best hero snow I've ridden in; cause it packs down a bit. It also is damn good if they are running super G or downhill for ski racing, cause they they groom cornice bowl, and that is steep enough for some serious carving. I strongly recommend! Kip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Pryor Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Alright Kip!! Your observations are right on and the phenomenon we call "wind pack" Mammoth dishes up in spades!! Some of the best if not the ultimate type of wind pack can form here!! Yes I have skied many days of windpack here before Jake B. came along. But on a Alpine set up it is like moving from the Lear Jet to the F-18. The face of 3 sets up real nice and when it is a bit windy in the afternoon the visuals of the snow blowing on top of 4inches of windpack are quite psychedelic. Of course the density and unique qualities of windpack make it an Alpine enthusiasts dream!! Man can you carve like there is no tomorow in that stuff and if it is windy the slate is clean for your next trip down your favourite piste. Yes chair23 (the anteater) can be ethereal!! When you get into runs like Cornice Bowl with it's pitch the turns are happening very fast and extreme turns set up their own recoveries. Chair 9 opens a whole pandoras box of possibilities and with just a little traversing on a pow day you are pinching yourself that this is really lift served terrain and the heli didn't just drop you off! As for June the plusses outweigh the lack of runs in my opinion. The grooming is Deer Valley quality and on a weekend the crowds are still nonexistent. Plus you can find pow in the trees for days after a storm. Thanks for your post and have fun out there!! jp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronG Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Tim, I'm planning on going to Mammoth on Thursday, weather depending. I will keep an eye out for you. Who will you be there with? any fellow carvers?? A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tim Tuthill Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Aaron: I'm it so far. Don't even know where I will be staying yet. I'll be at the # 2 lot to use the car for a locker as useual. I'm trying to get the guys From Santa Barbara to come up. I'll let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nekdut Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 I'm heading up right now. Like Tim, I'll probably be parking at Stump. I'll keep an eye out for you guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 have fun you guys! Have to skip due to Christmas party Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tim Tuthill Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Ray: Call in sick??? See you to two latter!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Pryor Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 Hey Tim, yea I remember you from June. You rip! Well I would love to jet up there but to be honest my local hill (Bear Mt.) is really good right now. Cold Santa Ana's and they have been blowing snow like crazy. The suits just bought two new (red) Pisten Bullys (awesome toys!) and along with the fleet of Bombardiers the grooming is top notch. A fast moving and cold weather front will hit this Sat-Sun and another on Mon night. You are going to score!! See ya jp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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